Clasp-type closure for envelopes



EN S

E5 OPE MATTHIOR G' H CLOSURE 1947 l LASP-TYPE d June 4' c le lllllllllllll llllll HIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES .rATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a clasp-type closure for an envelope and the method of stuiiing and closing an envelope having a flap.

` In stuffing and closing envelopes with conventional clasp-type closures, it is first necessary to provide the envelope with the clasp-type closure. This entails the relatively expensive procedure of accurately placing a hole in the envelope flap, opening the mouth of the envelope and accurately securing a clasp to the envelope through the open mouth so that it will register with the hole when the flap is closed. The clasp is bent flat when applied to the envelope to facilitate storage and handling of the same. The envelope is then stuffed, the clasp is bent upwardly, the flap is closed with the hole registering with the clasp and then the clasp is again bent flat. Thus there are required at least four accurate steps in providing the envelope with a clasp and also there are required at least four time-consuming steps to stuff and close the envelope. The cost of stuing and closing envelopes with conventional clasp-type closures is, therefore, relatively high -When the above factors are taken into consideration. During the stuffing and closing operations great difculty is often encountered in matching the holes with the clasps, which of course is time-consuming, and quite often the clasps are broken or the holes are torn, requiring discarding of the mutilated envelope. These difficulties may be brought about by inaccuracies in the locations of the holes and clasps in the envelopes and by stuffing the envelopes with varying amounts and types of material.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide an improved clasp-type closure for an envelope and an improved method of stuffing and closing an envelope with a clasp-type closure to reduce the time and expense involved in stuiiing and closing envelopes and to obvate the afore-v plied individually or in strips or rolls or fan-fold strips to be severed into individual closures.

In the formation of the closures the clasps are bent flat when they are inserted in the blanks and they remain that way. Thus, relatively few and inexpensive steps are required for the formation of the clasp-type closures and they may be automatically accomplished on simple, high speed machinery.

In stuffing and closing the envelope with the clasp-type closure of this invention, a plain. inexpensive envelope with-a flap is all that is required. The plain envelope is stuffed, the flap is closed, and the preformed clasp-type closure is adhesively applied with one blank adhesively secured to the envelope and the other to the flap. There is no need for matching clasps with holes or for bending the clasps during the closing operation. There is no danger `of breaking the clasps or tearing the holes or otherwise mutilating the envelopes and the envelopes may accommodate almost any amount or type of material. Since there is no need for bending the clasps, accidental cutting of the fingers of the operator and infection thereof are entirely prevented. The stuffing and closing of envelopes in accordance with this invention are, therefore, greatly simplied, requiring fewer steps and less time, producing less damage to the envelopes and being otherwise accomplished inexpensively.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanying specification, claims and drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a strip of clasp-type closures embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view illustrating a strip of clasp-type closures in roll form;

Fig. 3 illustrates a plurality of clasp-type closures packaged in individual form;

Fig. 3A illustrates a plurality of clasp-type closures arranged in fan-fold strips;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the clasp-type closure as it appears from the side having the adhesive coatings;

Fig. 6 is an exploded View of the clasp-type closure showing the construction of the three component parts thereof;

Fig. 7 illustrates the clasp-type closure applied to an envelope with the envelope closed;

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 7 but illustrating the envelope subsequently opened; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 9 9 of Fig. 5.

Referring rst to Figs. '7 and 8, the clasp-type closure of this invention may be applied to a conventional, inexpensive envelope I having the usual flap II.

The clasp-type closure includes a rst blank I2 which may be made of paper, cloth or other suitable material. An adhesive coating I3 is applied along a portion of one side of the blank I2 and the uncoated portion of the blank I2 is preferably provided with a hole Ill. For the purposes of this invention the adhesive coating I3 may be of varying types such as a pressure-sensitive adhesive type or a glue type requiring wetting before application.

The clasp-type closure also includes a second blank I5 provided along one side with an adhesive coating I and may be provided with holes I'i through which the clasp extends. The holes Il may be initially placed in the blank I5 before inserting the clasp or the holes I'I may be formed lby the operation of inserting the clasp through the blank I5. The blank I5 is adapted to overlie the uncoated portion of the blank I2 with the adhesive vcoatings on -both blanks exposed on the same vside of the assembly, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The material of the blank I5 and the type of adhesive coating I6 thereon may lcorrespond to the materials and coatings of the blank I2.

The clasp-type closure also includes a clasp IS having an enlarged head I9 and prongs 20. The prongs 29 are preferably bent up in the formation of the clasp I8 and are then inserted through the blank I5, as at II, and through the hole I in the blank I2. The prongs lare then bent flat to hold the two blanks I2 and I5 to- Thus in fabricating the clasp-type clooper-ation and may be inexpensively and auto- .l

matically accomplished by simple, high speed machinery.

In stufing and closing envelopes in accordance with this invention, the plain and inexpensive envelope Ill is rst stuffed, the flap II is closed and then the clasp-type Aclosure is adhesively applied thereto with one blank adhesively secured to the flap and the other blank adhesively secured to the envelope. As illustrated in :Figs 7 and 8, the blank I2 is adhesively secured t0 the flap II and the blank I5 is adhesively secured to the envelope. This may be accomplished in a single operation and eiectively closes the envelope regardless of the amount and type of stufng therein, and without danger of "damaging the envelope.

To open the envelope after it is once closed in the above fashion, all that is necessary is to raise the prongs AZI) and lift the flap II, as illustrated in Fig. 8.

Fig. 1 illustrates aplurality of clasp-type closures arranged in a strip 22 for convenient manufacture `and handling. Individual clasp-type closures may be taken from the strip and to facilitate this the strip may be provided with tear lines 23.

In Fig. 2 the strip may be lformed in a roll 24 to facilitate handling a large number of clasptype closures.

In Fig. 3 the clasp-type closures may be stacked as at 25 and packaged by a suitable band 25 therearound.

In Fig. 3A the clasp-type closures may be arranged Yin fan-fold strips.

For general office use perhaps the best form of handling the closure members is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, but where large numbers of envelopes are to'be stuffed and closed, as in large mail order houses, the roll of closure members illustrated in Fig. 2 or the fanfold strips illustrated in Fig. 3A, may be more convenient, particularly when the closure members are to be applied by means of automatic machinery. Y

While it is preferable initially to provide the blank I2 with the hole Ill for receiving the prongs 2t of the clasp I8, it may be omitted and holes similar to the holes Il of blank I5 may be formed in the blank I2 by the operation of inserting the clasp through the blank I2. Substantially the same results are obtained by each construction with the exception that reopening and reclosing of the envelope may be more readily accomplished with the use of the hole I4.

While for purposes of illustration one form of this invention has been disclosed, other .forms thereof may become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to this disclosure, and, therefore, this invention is to be limited onlyby the scope of the appended claims and prior art.

I claim as my invention:

l. A clasp-type closure for an envelope comprising, a iirst blank having an adhesive coating v on a portion of one side, a second blank having an adhesive coating on one side and overlying the uncoated portion of the first blank with the adhesive coatings of both blanks exposed, and a clasp lhaving an enlarged head engaging the coated surface of the second blank and having prongs extending through the second blank and the uncoated portion of the rst blank and Vbent flat to held together the two blanks.

2. A clasp-type closure for an envelope vcomprising, a iirst blank having an adhesive coating on a portion of one side and a hole through the uncoated portion, a secondblank vhaving anadhesive coating on one side and overlying the uncoated portion of the iirst blank with the adhesive coatings of both blanks exposed, a clasp having an enlarged head engaging the coated surface of the second blank and having prongs extending through the second blank and the uncoated portion Vof the iirst blank and bent flat to hold together the two blanks, one of the blanks adapted to be adhesively secured `tothe Venvelope flap and the other adapted to be secured to the envelope and the clasp adapted to be held in place by the enlarged head and the adhesive action of the second blank.

3. A strip of clasp-type closures for envelopes 5 comprising, a rst strip having longitudinally arranged adhesive coating on a portion of one side, a second strip having an adhesive coating on one side and overlying the uncoated portion of the first strip with the adhesive coatings of both strips exposed, and `a plurality of longitudinally arranged clasps having enlarged heads engaging the coated surface of the second strip and having prongs extending through the second strip and the uncoated Vportion of the rst strip and `bent flat to hold together the strips.

ll. A strip of clasp-type closures for -envelopes comprising, a first strip having Alongitudinally arranged adhesive coating on a portion of rone side, a second strip having an adhesive coating on one side and overlying the uncoated portion of the rst strip with the adhesive coatings -of both strips exposed, a plurality of longitudinally arranged clasps having enlarged heads engaging the coated surface of the .second strip and having prongs extending through the second strip 5' 6 and the uncoated portion of the rsiI strip and UNITED STATES PATENTS bent iiat to hold together the strips, and trans- Number Name Date verse tear lines in both strips arranged between 478 533 Gibboney |luly 5 1892 the clasps for severing individual c1asp-type 487025 Cummings "NOV 29 1892 closures from the strip of clasp-type closures. 5, 920466 Husted Mas', 4 1909 GEORGE H- MATTHIEDEN 1,371,403 swat@4 Mar. 15, 1921 1,451,612 Hausner Apr. 1l), 1923 REFERENCES CITED 2,049,030 strauss July 28. 1936 The following references are of record in the le of this patent: l0 

